Shadows of a Hero
by PinkKirby15
Summary: Liz, Kris and Sierra visit a beautiful new city on vacation. Things begin to go horribly wrong, and it's up to them to save the city and themselves. A tale of fate, adventure and the power of friendship, their lives will never be same again…
1. Chapter 1

Shadows of a Hero

"The Ancient City of Tamari draws hundreds of tourists a day, including Liz and Company. The city is located in the serene northern mountains of the Sanrin region, and remains as one of the last reminders of the planet's peaceful past. But lately, Kris has been having strange dreams, as citizens begin to call into haunting and eternal sleep. Events begin to take a drastic turn for the worse, and all of the cities hope falls on Liz, Kris and Sierra. After this fateful vacation…things will never be the same."

Author's Note: So here's my story about Liz, Sierra, Kris and all of their friends! I enjoyed writing this story and I hope you do too! Just because I think it might be fun to try, I'll make a soundtrack for this story! A daring move indeed, and I'll share it with you soon. Pokémon does not belong to me, and the characters used belong to me or my friends respectively.

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CHAPTER I

A young girl with long, flowing blonde hair dashes across the open field of grass. She stops on top of a hill, looking over the valley around her. She takes in a deep breath of the clean air while enjoying the scenery around her. The sky glows a bright blue, shadowed only by the enormous mountain range that surrounds her. She turns around and shouts back to two other girls following behind her, "Guys, come look at this view! It's stunning!"

Taking a quick breath, the girl with short red hair sprints up beside her and gazes around as well. "That's Sanrin for 'ya, Sierra," she grins as the third girl catches up to them, with a Weavile right by her side. "I've seen pictures of Northern Sanrin before, but this beats any photograph," Liz continued as she stretches her arms behind her head.

The trio pause their journey as they stare in awe at the sheer beauty of their surroundings. The massive trees loom around the edges of the field and up the mountain sides. Wildflowers in every color the rainbow sway in rhythm across the landscape with the gently breeze. The sky is dotted with fluffy white clouds, casting their shadows that dance across the plains. The girl with the Weavile, Kris, finally breaks the serene silence, "We should keep moving. If this is the scenery, I can't wait to see the actual town!" she grins and motions for the three to move forward.

They climb down the hill and continue through the knee high grass. Wild Swellow and Taillow scatter into the air as they pass by. Just as Sierra points out a stray Manetric that is standing in their path, Kris' pokegear suddenly rings, startling the wild Pokémon back into the grass. Kris quickly pulls it out of her pocket with an embarrassing smile, "Hello?"

"Kris? This is Inca!! How are you!? " A familiar man's voice quickly speaks. Inca is a friend of Kris' from all the way back when she first began her Pokémon journey in the Johto region. They met briefly and became friends, and the two call each other to chat in their downtime. "You'll never guess where I'm headed!" he continues, and Kris asks him where. "Tamari Villa's Annual Summer Festival! Cool, right??"

Kris' face lights up, "Whoa, we're on our way there too! Where are you right now?" She begins to babble off, and Liz playfully rolls her eyes at Sierra.

"This'll be great," Liz sarcastically moans. Sierra giggles, and continues to wait to hear the rest of the news from Kris while she chats some more.

Kris hangs up the phone and smiles, "Inca and his friends are going to participate in the festival too, believe it or not!" The group continues walking as the conversation continues.

Liz clenches her fists and grins, "I can't wait to get my hands on that Tamari Cup…and now that I get to defeat Inca too, this will only keep getting better!" She literally can't hold in her excitement anymore, and skips ahead of the group, up the mountain path. Sierra and Kris quietly laugh to each other.

Liz abruptly stops dead in her tracks and gazes off into the brush in front of her. Sierra tries to call out to her but Kris immediately hushes her as the three of them stand in the dead silence of the forest, wondering what has caused their friend to freeze up. Liz lowers her voice to a menacing tone, and she reaches to her belt and to her poke balls, "Who's there? Show yourself!" At that moment a husky young man stumbles down the hill and skids to a halt in front of them.

"Hold on there, travelers…" He tiredly growls, regaining his composure. "State your purpose here."

Liz hesitates, but quickly thinks to herself why he would have just asked that. Ever since the ancient spirits of the earth have been disturbed, the balances between light and darkness have slowly begun to crumble away. Only until recently, or few days ago, have these events become a problem. Liz continues to recall that in a reading she studied that the balance of these forces is what prevents one of these forces becoming too powerful. She's heard threats of civil wars, violence breaking out, and many people were becoming afraid for their safety. Liz bravely speaks up, "We only want to get to Tamari. We're going for the battle tournament."

The man glares at them and clenches his fists. The forest falls eerily silent as Liz stares straight back at the man, her hand on her belt ready to act in case he decides to pick a fight. Sierra takes a step back as a cold chill shoots up her spine.

The man's hands relax and his gaze turns into an outgoing grin, "…are you lost?" Liz gives him her trademark mischievous grin. "I can lead you to Tamari, if that's what you want," he says.

Kris and Sierra fall back surprised as Liz confidently replies back, "We're not _lost_…but if you're willing to guide us…" As if the man could hear the lie in her voice, the four of them stand there in awkward silence.

Sensing the man is true to his word, Sierra speaks up and holds out her hand, her sparkling blue eyes beckoning him, "We'd love it if you could show us the rest of the way to Tamari. My name's Sierra!"

The young man calmly smiles, "I'm Benjamin, or Ben. Whatever you want to call me," he jokes, "nice to meet you," and returns her handshake. Ben ruffles his short dark orange hair, as his tall stature looms over them. His loose plaid shirt and denim shorts drifting gently in the breeze, he shakes hands with Liz and Kris as they shared their names as well. "I'm a tour guide in Tamari, seeing as how it's a great tourist destination. There are lots of sights to see, so I'm usually all over the place. Plus, I've come to know this area like the palm of my hand," he snickers at his own joke.

He starts to lead them in a different direction up the hill than where the girls were initially heading, implying they were going the wrong way in the first place. After a few minutes of hiking the steep hill, Ben speaks up, "Sorry I jumped all over you back there. With these new threats of violence out there now, and Tamari being somewhat of a last stronghold of peaceful cities, you can't be too careful." They nod in agreement. Ben continues, "I've spent all my life in Tamari…I couldn't live with myself if something happened there, especially if I could've prevented it."

Sierra feels empathetic for the young man, because at one point in her life her home town was threatened when she wasn't home to help defend it. The three follow him the rest of the way through the winding paths along the mountain. Just as they reach a small clearing near the top of the hill, a building begins to peer over the tree tops. Becoming enveloped with excitement, Sierra, Kris and Liz sprint the rest of the way to the top. There in front of them, at the bottom of the ravine, stood the thriving city of Tamari. "Wow…" Kris says under her breath.

"Welcome to Tamari!" Ben spreads his arms wide as he catches up to them, and grins as the four of them look out into the picturesque city. The large yet cozy town nestles itself between two lush green mountains while overlooking an enormous canyon. The buildings look like small white sculptures, and every part of the town that isn't paved into a road or walkway is dotted with flowers in every shape and in vibrant colors. "Now about where you'll be staying…" Ben inquisitively asks them, but gets no definite response. "Don't worry about that, I know the perfect place!" he once again laughs.

Ben leads them down the cliff and into the city. The trio's eyes bounce from building to building as they look in awe at the beauty of the city. They pass through the main town square of the city that is decorated beyond imagination. As if it they had just jumped into a fairy tale, the town is ornamented with lanterns and ribbons, balloons and merchants, trainers and Pokémon, and green gardens galore. As they continue through the city, every nook and cranny is built into some sort of small shop or bakery, and they are constantly greeted by smiling faces everywhere they go. They finally reach Ben's favorite hotel on the edge of town, the _Spirit of Tamari_, and he opens the lobby door for them in a gentlemanly manner. "I think you three will love it here, 'cause it has a splendid view of the surrounding mountains, not to mention it's the perfect spot in town to watch the sunsets," he smiles.

"O-oh!! I love it! I can't wait to check in," Sierra squeals at the sight of the beautiful chateau and crystal clean lobby.

The three of them bid farewell to the friendly Ben as he holds the door open for them when they walk inside. They approach the reception desk, and are happily greeted by the employee. They check out a room, receive their keys, and head down the hallway to put away their bags. As they toss their bags onto the fluffy beds, Liz's stomach growls, "I think it's time we find something to eat…!"

"Where do we even start? I can't believe how much there is to do here! And we haven't even seen half of the town yet," Kris smiles enthusiastically, clutching her stomach in agreement with Liz.

Deciding to go out and find a late lunch, they head out of the hotel and onto the streets of Tamari. After wandering around town for only a few minutes, the trio comes across a light and inexpensive café. With a unanimous vote, they go in and eat up on sandwiches and iced tea. They stuff their faces with the scrumptious food, leave a generous tip for their cute waiter, and then head back out into the city.

"Ah!" Liz sighs loudly, patting her satisfied stomach, "That hit the spot. Man, this city place is _great_!"Sierra quickly chimes in, "So where now? We can go back to the hotel…"

Kris and Liz both poke fun at her, "We came all the way to this city…just so you can lie lazily at the hotel?" They playfully laugh, knowing that Sierra only wants to watch the sunset there.

"I'm sure we'll be able to see it from anywhere in town. But first, we need to go to the square. It's supposed to be all lit up at night like a carnival, and that's when the real festivities begin!" Kris replies with a grin on her face.

At that statement Liz's face lights up with excitement, "Oh yeah! Quick, the sun's practically down right now, and I don't want to miss any moment!" She grabs Sierra and Kris by their arms and rushes off to the town square, which is now starting to light up, before they could say anything else.

They enter the massive center plaza, while Pokémon trainers and their partners are battling out of spirit. Children prance with novelty toys in their hands, and even some people show off their Pokémon in contest fashions. Merchants holler across the streets advertising their products and families pose for pictures in front of the various statues and scenery.

Liz, Kris and Sierra continue to walk around, still in awe at how beautiful yet dreamlike the town is, until a familiar voice from behind called for them. The three of the turn around and see Inca jogging towards them. He stops in front of them with a smile spread wide across his face, "So you guys made it! Awesome."

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	2. Chapter 2

_**Shadows of a Hero**_

Author's Note: So far, the "soundtrack" is coming along nicely, and I'm excited to share it with readers. This is the chapter when something key happens; I'll tell you that much! I hope you enjoy~!

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CHAPTER II

Kris's face lights up as she jumps over and gives Inca a hug, "It's so good to see you again!"

Inca hugs her back, lifting her clear off the ground, "Same here!" Weavile chirps at seeing the familiar face once again.

"Nice to see you again Inca, it's been a while," Sierra laughed as he sets Kris back onto the paved ground. Kris woozily steps back and Liz shakes his hand.

"I'm just glad to take a break from traveling, and this apparently is a great place to chill!" Inca laughs as two other trainers join him at his side. "Wow, so Sneasel has evolved? You look a lot tougher now than before," he kneels down to pet Weavile, but she swats his hand back with her claws.

"Inca, stop running ahead like that! Who knows where you'll end up next time…" a younger girl sighs as she finally catches up, with another male the same age as Inca beside her.

The other teenager with short blue hair joins them, "Oh ho Inca, flirting again are we?" he laughs at his friend who is surrounded by three girls.

Inca quickly gives his reply, his face red as he looks at Kris, "Might as well give introductions. This is Kris, a long time friend of mine. And these fine young ladies are her buddies Sierra and Liz." He turns his attention to the young girl and blue haired man. "This little twerp is my younger sister, Inthrea," he pulls her over and slings an arm around her shoulder, "and this dude over here is my childhood best friend Toshiro." The newly acquainted friends graciously greet each other, as they continue to walk around the festive plaza.

"…No way!" Kris breaks away from the group with Weavile on her tail straight to an ice cream vendor.

Toshiro stares blankly and confused, "What was that all about?" Inthrea shares his same expression.

Liz, Inca and Sierra can only help but laugh. Finally, Liz speaks up, "Kris has a…thing for ice cream."

Sierra continues, "Everyone has their favorite…and hers is frozen dairy." Toshiro and Inthrea join in the laughter.

"Come on guys, she'll catch up," Inca motions and they continue to explore the square.

A few minutes later, Kris finds them and walks over, licking an ice cream cone that is slowly melting in the summer night while Weavile enjoys one of her own. They group wanders around for a few more hours, enjoying the atmosphere of the festival and buying various souvenirs. "Oh hey Inca, I almost forgot. We got so caught up in the commotion of the fair that you and I still need to battle!" Liz grins and leans toward Inca.

Inca calmly replies with a smirk of his own, "Yeah, right! This will be a piece of cake…just like always!"

Liz winks back, "We'll see about that."

The group backs up as Inca sends out his first Pokémon, Absol, who leaps forward and tosses his head back proudly. "Ready buddy?" Inca shouts to Absol who smiles back.

"You and your dog Pokémon, Inca! Go, Mightyena!" The wolf Pokémon bursts out of its poke ball and howls loudly. "Here we go!" Inca and Liz cry out, ready to go.

"Absol, use Night Slash quick!" Inca commands, and Absol immediately jumps at Mightyena in full speed. Mightyena has no time to react as he is slashed in to the ground. Mightyena stutters back to its feet and growls menacingly back.

Quickly, Liz responds, "Mightyena, Crunch!" Instantaneously, Mightyena pounces back at Absol who becomes pinned to the ground in the grip of the wolf Pokémon's jaws.

Groups of fellow Pokémon trainers and Coordinators of all ages begin to gather around to watch the intensifying battle.

Inca smirks and mumbles under his breath, "Use Thunder bolt!" Absol, cringing under Mightyena and its powerful grip, shoots electricity straight from its body into Mightyena. With a screech, the wolf falls back in pain. "Now, get ready!" Absol gets back to his feet, lets out a deep growl, and a razor wind begins to whip around the blade on his head.

Mightyena struggles back onto four legs, but flinches back with a quiet whimper. "Mightyena?" Liz cries out loud, shocked that her faithful Pokémon could possibly be in trouble already.

Sierra cringes back, and silently whispers "The poor thing can't even move…it must be paralyzed from that blast of electricity." Kris nods with Sierra, still concentrating on the battle, being a trainer herself. Weavile stands quietly next to Kris, observing the battle, attempting to pick up any new strategies.

Liz overhears Sierra from behind her. She hollers with support to her Pokémon, "Come on Mightyena. Get up!" Mightyena tries to stand again, but is unsuccessful.

"Heh…!" Inca grins, "Absol, now use Razor Wind!" Absol leaps into the air, and proudly roars as two violent twisters tear across the battle field directly at the paralyzed Mightyena.

Liz stands there, helpless, as the vicious winds close in on her friend, "Mightyena!!!" she shouts terrified.

As if by gut instinct, Mightyena forces himself up into a stance facing the storm and launches a Shadow Ball directly at them. The twisters break apart and blast a wall of wind around the plaza. The continually growing audience gasps in shock, covering themselves from the shockwave. The wind quickly dies down and the dust settles, restoring the vision on the field. There stood Mightyena trembling, yet baring its fangs at Absol who stood surprised at what had just happened.

Liz's face lights up as Inca's now turns into shock, and she confidently shouts to her Pokémon, "Yeah, there you go!" Mightyena howls back in response to Liz, then turns his attention back to Absol, who was now standing in front of him, ready to continue the battle.

Absol, enraged, charges at Mightyena with a fierce takedown attack. Mightyena braces itself for impact, but then quickly switches into an offensive mode and tackles Absol full force. Absol, surprised once again by his opponent, is hit and barrels backwards. Mightyena, forcing itself forward, immediately continues the assault and returned the takedown, causing even more damage to the battered Absol.

Two people in the audience could be heard arguing with another, "How is this possible? Mightyena is paralyzed."

Another voice shouts back, "Absol can easily take it out, even if it has a status condition!" Cheering for each Pokémon is suddenly heard throughout the now large audience in the lit up square.

A different voice responded back, "Oh what do you know! That Mightyena is highly trained, and can take out any opponent in any condition!"

Inca briefly looks over at the crowd, accepting their cheers, and then eagerly returns his attention to the battle. "That's enough…Absol, use Ice Beam!"

Absol quickly kicks Mightyena off its back, opens its mouth wide and fires an icy beam that pelts Mightyena. The wolf Pokémon flings clear back to where Liz stands from the powerful attack. The wolf Pokémon just as quickly climbs back onto four legs and lets out a ferocious growl.

"Is that all you got?" Liz confidently hollers back to Inca as the beat up Mightyena howls in agreement. "Let's finish this…Mightyena, use--" just as Liz gives the final command, Mightyena lets out a shy yelp, and collapses in front of her. Shocked, Liz stands there motionless.

Inca lets out a mocking laugh, and then winks at Liz who returns her Mightyena. "Great job Absol," he says as he recalls the injured Pokémon back to its ball. "You want to save some time and give up now?"

Becoming frustrated by his cockiness, Liz growls back, "Oh I don't think so. This is far from over!"

Inca laughs again, then replies, "Well, I've got a date to take care of, so let's wrap this up, shall we?" He then casually tosses a luxury ball into the air and out comes his prized Pokémon, Ninetales.

Liz takes out a regular poke ball, and opens it in her hand. Out comes her team's powerhouse and her best friend, Blaziken. It clenches its fists and lets out a threatening roar that shakes the audience around them.

Inca calls out to Ninetales, "This will be yet another easy victory boy!" Ninetales howls in agreement, ready for an effortless win. "Use Extrasensory!"

"What?" Liz stammers confused, not realizing it knew that attack, when just as quickly Blaziken is lifted off the ground, and as the fox Pokémon telepathically tosses her the ground with a crash. Blaziken gets back onto her feet and looks at Liz with a baffled gaze. Liz shakes her head, "Don't let your guard down! Use Mach Punch!" Reacting quickly, Blaziken leaps into the air and pummels Ninetales onto the ground, and quickly leaps back out of the way.

"Get up! That was nothing at all." Inca reassures the fox Pokémon, who lets out its cry, then charges at Blaziken using quick attack. Blaziken, flexes her knees, then immediately jumps into the air clear over Ninetales and the heads of the audience as they stare in awe.

Liz smirks, and then shouts to her partner, "Sky Uppercut!!" Blaziken then begins to fall right on top of Ninetales, and lands directly onto the fox with hers powerful legs in a loud crash and dirt fills the air. Liz and Inca, along with everyone else, shield their faces from the surrounding debris.

As the dirt settles, Blaziken stands triumphantly in front of a trembling Ninetales. The fox lets out a low growl, and then shoots a Fire Blast directly at Blaziken. Ready to counter it, the Pokemon's wrists light into flames as it recklessly charges at Ninetales in a Brave Bird attack.

Bursting right through the flaming star of Fire Blast, Blaziken slams into the fox Pokemon as it crashes backward onto the ground, severely damaged. Landing back near Liz, Blaziken flinches back by the strong recoil, but quickly regains her fighting stance, ready to continue.

"No…Ninetales!" Inca shouts, as it lies defeated on the ground. Suddenly, a shriek is heard from the back of the crowd as someone begins to shout for help. The battle ceases as the trainers and their Pokémon watch while Sierra and Kris rush to see what on earth the commotion is about.

"Excuse me! Pardon!" Sierra politely shouts as they make their way to the back of the crowd. There in front of her was a young child lying in his mother's arms, silently sleeping. Kris kept the look of concern on her face, but was confused as much as anyone else. "But he's just sleeping…?" Sierra finally speaks up to the sobbing mother.

Suddenly the parent looks up right at Sierra and shouts, "That's exactly what's happening!!" Sierra and Kris exchanged confused glances, and then Sierra continues to try and talk to the uncontrollably crying mother.

"So what happened? Did he pass out?"

"Did he get hurt?" "Is it the summer heat?" Voices from around them continued to question.

Kris shoots a glare at the crowd who is gradually becoming rowdy. The people start to quiet down and continue to watch. Sierra tries to lean in closer to the mother who only becoming more frustrated and upset with each unresponsive call to her son. "He…I just- He was getting tired so we sat down on the bench so he could take a quick nap, then about twenty minutes later I…he just wouldn't wake up! He- He won't even respond! Just keeps sleeping…!" her weeping becomes even more intense as her son quietly sleeps in her arms.

Sierra sympathetically places her hand on the mothers shoulder as she holds her son tighter.

"Stand aside! Get out of the way!" A voice shouts as the person plows her way through the crowd. The voice turns out to be Nurse Joy, with a stretcher and two Chanseys directly behind her. "Hold on Ma'am. If you could put your son here…and come with me…" Nurse Joy helps the mother and child to be escorted out of the crowd and back into town toward the Pokémon center.

With the ambulance leaving and the battle over, the crowd begins to disperse and return to the festivities, but still in the somber mood of the moment. Sierra and Kris still stood in the same spot as Inthrea, Toshiro, Inca, Liz and Blaziken rush to them. "What was that all about??" Inthrea shouts distressed, because she was stuck on the outside of the mob during the epidemic.

"…I have no idea," Kris shrugs. Weavile and Blaziken exchange baffled looks. Kris looks over to Sierra to see her response, but she only stares blankly, thinking, at the ground. Kris sighs and looks back at the puzzled group of friends, "I all I got out of it was that a woman's son fell asleep, but he just won't wake up."

Toshiro's face turns a ghastly white, "He…he didn't die did he?"

"No no, no!" Kris corrects herself, face bright red, "He just fell asleep for a nap, then, well, he just kept sleeping. No matter what his mom did to wake him up, he just kept sleeping. It was like he was in a -"

"-Trance." Sierra finishes Kris' sentence. She looks up from the ground to meet the eyes of her friends, "It seemed like he was almost in a sleeping trance…"

The six of them stand there silently for a minute, and no one is sure what to make of this situation. Sierra, Liz and Kris have seen a lot of strange things before, but nothing as weird as sleeping trances, and no one knew exactly what to say or even do.

Inca then shuffles his feet and looks at Kris, but talks to everyone, "Well, standing here won't make things any clearer. We best just head back to our hotels for now, and see what comes up."

Looking right back at him, Kris replies, "I guess you're right…that's enough action for one day."

Everyone else nods in agreement. Everyone finishes up their shopping as they all disperse through the plaza and back into the streets of town.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Please read and comment, then check back for updates~ =)

Weavile: *nods* WEA! (Do it!!)


	3. Chapter 3

_**Shadows of a Hero**_

Author's Note: A short chapter, put still good. This is mainly a transition chapter, so bare with me. But don't skip it, because you can't miss this! ^.^

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CHAPTER III

An hour later Liz, Sierra and Kris arrive in their room and Liz lies down on the bed. "Jeez, what a day!" she sighs loudly. Weavile hops onto the bed next to Liz, and Sierra walks into the bathroom to change into her pajamas, while Kris grabs her toothbrush and begins to brush her teeth at the sink. Liz slides back and rests on the headboard of the bed, grabs the TV remote, and turns on the television. Kris spits out the paste, and grabs a glass of water as Liz starts browsing the channels.

Sierra walks out the bathroom in her night skirt and hangs her clothes over a chair. Kris takes a gulp of water and sets the cup on the nightstand. Liz continues watching television and Sierra quickly runs a brush through her long hair. Kris conquers the bathroom next to change into her own pajamas and closes the door behind her. Feeling crowded, Weavile hops back onto the floor and curls up into the corner and falls asleep.

Liz continues to surf the channels as Sierra sits next to her, brushing her hair and watching the short clips of shows as they fly by. As the channel hits forty-eight, a woman is briefly heard "-seems an epidemic-" but continues on to the next network as Liz keeps browsing.

"Wait, go back!" Sierra quickly shouts, scaring the living crap out of Liz in the silence of the room. Weavile jumps, and looks around the room with wide, panicked eyes.

"Okay okay!" she pants, regaining her posture as she changes it back to the news network. Sierra puts the brush down next to her and leans forward listening to the anchorwoman continue.

"-Today another report of the newly dubbed 'Whites Syndrome' was reported in the peaceful resort Village of Tamari. There-"

"-Heh, I get it. White's Syndrome…like Snow White! She fell asleep, and wouldn't wake up, and-" Liz laughs, but is hushed by Sierra who eagerly listens to the rest of the report.

"This makes a grand total of four victims thus far. While scientists and health professionals remain baffled as to the cause of these strange, trance-like states, many families and other concerned civilians are shocked by these events." The news woman flips her paper to the other side. She is quickly seen adjusting her ear bud before she continues. "The most recent victim's name has not yet been released, but it is known that he is a six year old boy who quote 'fell asleep for a routine nap, but never woke up-" the TV is abruptly turned off. Liz tosses the remote onto the other bed in disgust.

"Who does that woman think she is? She acts like she knows what's going on…she's just been sitting in her safe studio this whole time. We were actually there, witnessing the whole damn thing!" Liz growls at the quiet machine.

Sierra lowers her head and closes her eyes and mumbles, "Calm down Liz…it's just the media. They always make things more dramatic…"

Kris walks out of the bathroom and looks at Liz and Sierra, "I heard it too." Kris implies that she could overhear the television from within the other room. "Sounds like this is more of a wide spread problem. Not just that one kid from earlier."

Getting concerned over her friend's silence, Liz leans onto Sierra's shoulder and looks up at her face, "You okay…?" She is still silent, her eyes closed as if she is looking into an invisible world. Liz gets a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was going wrong, but she nor anyone else in the world could figure it out. What really is this 'White's Syndrome' that everyone is now talking about?

Kris joins them and sits on the other side of Sierra on the fluffy bed, "…so what are we going to do?" Weavile, now comforted by Kris's presence, settles back down on the bed next to her trainer.

They sit there in silence, but Sierra speaks up quietly, "I think this is more than just some mental illness or…or just a sickness," she looks at Kris with a concerned look written all over her face.

Liz leans forward, "…Do you think it has to do with the threat of civil war? I mean, maybe some people are going through withdrawals from the peaceful times?"

Kris rolls her eyes sarcastically. "Yeah, and I bet there's an evil witch queen who is casting sleeping spells on people," she mocks, "It's all a conspiracy."

Sierra lifts her hand to her mother's necklace around her neck, and fingers it gently. "Kris, I think you might be right."

Both of them become utterly confused, "Sierra…I was joking." Kris tries to keep a straight face.

Liz shouts, "That's ridiculous! There's no such thing as witches and that crap, Sierra!"

Kris tries to get Liz to quiet down and lower her voice. Sierra nervously shuffles her feet, unsure of how she should continue.

"I never said that…" Sierra mumbles shyly, "…but when I was next to the mother, and the child, I felt this-this strange feeling about him." Liz and Kris mellow down. They both know of Sierra's sixth-sense for a world beyond their own, the world of spirits and dreams. So when she begins to talk of these strange feelings, they know that she is serious. They both silence themselves and listen to her as she continues, "…I can't quite say what, but the aura around them was so strange. I've never, ever felt anything like it…I can't stop thinking about it."

Kris and Liz look straight at each other, but no one says a word. Sierra lets out a big sigh, and shivers. Liz slings an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, let's not worry about it anymore tonight, okay? Let's just get some sleep. We're on vacation, so we are just going to relax and enjoy our trip, okay?" she grins.

Forcing a smile too, Kris laughs, "Yeah, it's our vacation time! So let's get some rest. We haven't even covered a fraction of the festivities yet!"

Sierra lets out one last sigh, and then smiles, "I guess so. I must be tired, that's all." Liz smiles too, and then joins Kris for a group hug. Kris gets up to put away her day clothes and Liz takes her turn to change into her pajamas. Sierra crawls under the covers as Kris claims the other bed before Liz comes back out. The two giggle at their little joke as Weavile sneaks under the covers and to claim her spot on the bed too. Kris scoots her lazy Pokémon over and slides under the warm blankets. With a grunt, Weavile curls up next to her.

Kris, her head now buried in the feather pillow, mumbles, "G'night Sierra."

She quietly whispers back, "Good night. Sweet dreams." Sierra climbs under the covers as well, and fluffs her pillow before plopping her head down. She gently closes her eyes and quickly drifts to sleep…

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Darth Vader: I find you lack of reviews disturbing.

d(^.^)b -Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

_**Shadows of a Hero**_

Author's Note: This chapter was difficult to write. I hope it still flows cleanly together with the rest of the story. Enjoy chapter 4! (Sorry for the hiatus, but I will try to keep adding chapters when I get free time. Thanks for your patience!)

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CHAPTER IV

_Suddenly, Kris awakens from her sleep in a dark room, dazed. "What just happened? Where am I?" she asks, but no one replies. She quickly stands up and looks around her, but the room is completely empty. Standing in the darkness the shadows seem to close in on her, yet the air remains still. Kris takes a step forward but is quickly stopped in her tracks as she feels her foot give way underneath her. She shrieks in pain and falls forward toward the ground. She closes her eyes as she falls, and waiting for her body to make hit the ground, but nothing happens. She slowly opens her eyes, and to her surprise she is still standing, but in what seemed an open, dark space. Her foot still throbs, and so she begins to call for help into the pitch blackness as she continues to scour the shadows for any hint of life besides herself. She turns forward again trembling in fear and in front of her stands a black figure staring directly into her eyes. Panicking, Kris tries to scream but no sound comes out of her mouth. It takes a step closer to her, and raises its hand to point at her. With its crooked fingers pointing at her underneath what looked like a tattered robe, it slowly groans at her, "Disruption…Nightmare…Destroy…" It holds out its decrepit hand and reaches for Kris now. She continues to try and scream, but quickly realizes it was a waste of time. She tries then to turn away and run, but she can't move, frozen in her tracks by her aching foot. "Get away! What do you want??" she tries to shout at it, powerless against the eerie figure who was now nearly breathing down her neck…_

"GET AWAY!" Kris screams, and sits up in bed, sweat dripping down her face as she looks around the quiet and peacefully dark hotel room. Liz and Sierra were still sleeping, and the alarm clock beside the bed blinked 1:30 A.M. at her. She forces herself take a few gulps of air and tries to calm down, and lies back on the bed, resting her head gently on the pillow. "It was just a dream…just a dream. Relax…" she keeps mumbling to herself, forcing her body to go back to sleep.

The next morning, Liz lets out a big moan as she shields her eyes from the new day sunlight pouring in the window. She sits up and wipes the crust from her eyes, then mumbles, "Lazy bums, sleeping in." She motions at Kris and Sierra who are still quietly sleeping despite the light shining over the room. Liz stumbles into the bathroom and turns on the faucet, then splashes the cold water onto her face.

After about five minutes, Liz emerges from the bathroom ready to get a new day started, and notices Kris is awake, staring up at the ceiling. "Good mornin' Kris," Liz says cheerfully.

Kris looks over then sits up. "You're up early," she tries to joke but fails tremendously. She quietly grabs her clothes and heads to the bathroom to change. Liz sits next to Sierra on her bed and pats her shoulder, "Sorry girl, we're ready to go except for you. Time to get moving." Sierra still sleeps, a look of a frown written on her face. "Hmph!" Liz growls back, "I said, it's time to get up Sierra."

Kris comes out, dressed, and stands over Sierra and Liz, "Sierra, come on. We're just waiting on you know." Sierra doesn't respond, still sleeping soundly. Liz and Kris fall dead silent, and the only movement in the room is the gentle rising and falling of Sierra's chest.

"Sierra, get up!" Liz's face turns pale, "This isn't funny!" she begins to shake her by the shoulders, trying to get her friend to wake up.

A cold chill shoots up Kris's spine, as the two of them come to the realization of what is happening. Kris quickly grabs the phone and dials for the hospital. On the verge of tears, she quickly alerts the voice on the other line as Liz begins to raise her voice at Sierra, eyes watering, "Not you Sierra, not you!" A tear begins to fall down Kris'cheek as she stands there in shock. She forces her eyes closed as images of the black figure appear in her head when Nurse Joy comes rushing into the room with a stretcher and two Chanseys.

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Even shorter I know. Thanks for reading though!

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